Putin Rejects European Forces in Ukraine, Warns War Would Resume Immediately
Key Facts
Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected deploying European forces in Ukraine after any ceasefire, warning that Moscow would consider them a security threat and legitimate targets, and that the war would resume immediately. The position came during his meeting at the Kremlin with U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, on Thursday, in a new round aimed at advancing a peace deal. Witkoff told reporters he hoped the progress made in the talks had brought peace closer. The dispute focused on the form of security guarantees after the fighting stops and on the role of European countries in shaping them. Putin’s warning puts the issue at the center of diplomatic efforts, as agreement on the principles remains far from resolving postwar arrangements.
Kushner said one of the aims of the meeting with Putin was to secure his agreement to European representatives taking part in talks on broader security arrangements. Washington and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy want Europe to appoint a single representative to negotiate with Moscow, according to the Associated Press. The proposal reflects an attempt to bring a unified European position into the negotiations, while Putin rejects the deployment of forces from European countries inside Ukraine after a ceasefire. Zelenskyy said the Abu Dhabi talks included meetings involving European representatives in the E4 format, alongside the European Commission and NATO. In Dublin, leaders from more than 40 European countries met on Thursday at a European Political Community summit focused on the continent’s security.
The Abu Dhabi talks, which lasted two days and ended on Wednesday, were the first U.S.-mediated direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in nine months. The round produced no major breakthrough, but resulted in an agreement to exchange a large number of prisoners of war, with the number to be announced later. Kushner said the delegations had agreed on many principles, while continuing to differ over how to achieve peace. Reuters reported that the sides announced an agreement on a major prisoner exchange, which is likely to be carried out in the following weeks. The tangible outcome represents limited progress in a process whose core issues remain unresolved.
Territory remains one of the main points of contention, with Reuters reporting that Kyiv rejected Putin’s demand to cede the entire eastern Donbas region in exchange for peace. The agency also said disagreements over key issues, including territory, persisted despite negotiators reporting progress in Abu Dhabi. On security, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said the United States, Europe and Ukraine are largely aligned on the form of security guarantees. He added that what is now needed is a peace deal or, at least, a ceasefire. The contrast between that position and Putin’s warning about European forces highlights the challenge of turning security proposals into terms acceptable to the parties.
Witkoff and Kushner were due to travel to Dublin after meeting Putin to meet Zelenskyy. The Ukrainian president said he hoped to meet the envoys in Dublin at the end of the day following their talks with Moscow. Zelenskyy said upcoming political changes could open a window of opportunity for a peace deal, pointing to the possibility of a shift in Europe’s political landscape in 2027. He also linked this to Democrats taking control of the U.S. Congress in January after the midterm elections, and to votes in France the following year. The next meeting of European Political Community leaders is scheduled to take place in Zurich in April.
Fighting continues along a 1,200-kilometer front line, or about 750 miles, according to the Associated Press. The continued fighting comes alongside diplomatic talks on a ceasefire and security guarantees. The battlefield reality gives the question of stopping the fighting direct importance in the parties’ positions on any settlement. Rutte said a peace deal, or at least a ceasefire, is what the parties need now. The expected Dublin meeting and talks involving European representatives remain among the next steps in a process that has yet to resolve questions of territory or security arrangements.